California · Rock climbing · Markleeville

3rd Tier

3rd Tier in California has 10 climbing routes across 6 grades in mixed, sport, and trad styles.

10 routes
5.9 – 5.11b
Trad · Sport · Mixed

Is 3rd Tier open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Carson Ranger District. It doesn't name 3rd Tier, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Carson Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit 3rd Tier

Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

  1. Jan

    43° / 18°

    9 wet

  2. Feb

    43° / 19°

    9 wet

  3. Mar

    48° / 24°

    10 wet

  4. Apr

    53° / 28°

    8 wet

  5. May

    62° / 33°

    7 wet

  6. Jun

    72° / 38°

    3 wet

  7. Jul

    80° / 43°

    2 wet

  8. Aug

    80° / 41°

    2 wet

  9. Sep

    73° / 35°

    3 wet

  10. Oct

    62° / 29°

    5 wet

  11. Nov

    51° / 23°

    7 wet

  12. Dec

    43° / 18°

    10 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at South Lake Tahoe Ap, CA, 11.9 mi away at 6,314 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

3rd Tier is a climbing area in the Carson Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among several other climbing areas, with One Of These Days Buttress and The Green Tongue Area each about 0.1 mile away. The area has 10 routes, most of them trad, with grades ranging from 5.9 up to 5.11b. The hardest is THE DARK HALF, a mixed route at 5.11b, and the sport route Into the Groove is 5.11a. Cartwheel is a trad 5.10b, and Halcion Hallucination is a trad 5.9. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at South Lake Tahoe show July and August highs around 80°F with lows in the low 40s and only about two wet days a month. Winter is much colder, with highs in the low 40s and lows near 18°F. Crystal Springs Campground is about 0.9 mile away, and Kit Carson Campground is about 2.1 miles away. The 4-Second Climbing Trail is 0.8 mile off, and the West Fork Carson River, a paddling route, is about 3.5 miles away.

Routes (10)

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